Positive impact of the European Capital of Culture continues

It’s less than three months until the end of the year and the institute MARIBOR 2012 - European Capital of Culture has expressed satisfaction with the current progress of what has, so far, been the most important cultural event in the history of independent Slovenia. The ECOC has brought developmental momentum to many areas, including the economic sector, where tourist activity is seeing positive feedback.

It is for these reasons that the synergies and connections that have been established by the institute MARIBOR 2012 should not come to an end as the ECOC project finishes on the 15th of December.

The institute Maribor 2012 has successfully established a bridge, a link of cooperation between cities and institutions of the eastern region, beyond the fields of culture and tourism. The positive impact is already tangible. Maribor and its partner cities have become a recognizable cultural destination. It belongs to the great family of ECOCs, allowing for a different route of development for the entire region. The project has managed to break through, as it were, chiefly due to the close-knit connection of the state, cities and institutions between the many that were involved in the project. The effects are visible, the city is revitalised and it has achieved a renewed status of recognisability in the international sphere - a status that should be cultivated in the times to come.

Increased number of visitors in Maribor and its partner cities

Maribor has seen an 82% increase in the number of visitors in the first half of the year in comparison with the same period last year. The highest increase was recorded in June, when there was a 92% increase. The number of overnight stays has grown by about 12% in Maribor and similarly in other partner towns. It is estimated that much of the credit for the increase recorded in 2012 can be attributed to their participation in the 2012 European Capital of Culture project, as the towns hosting the ECOC and cultural service providers have gained recognition at home and abroad.

The Maribor 2012 Info Points have recorded a high number of visitors, too; more than 22 thousand visitors in just eight months. Since the official inauguration, the European Capital of Culture has already carried out around 4,000 events among 5,000 planned. The shows, exhibitions, concerts and other events of the ECOC have been visited by over one million three hundred thousand visitors! That the people have grown to love ECOC is further shown by the survey results. Public opinion research has shown that Slovenians are of the opinion that Maribor has blossomed since the ECOC project began.

The ECOC website has recorded a high number of visitors

From the opening of the European Capital of Culture until October, the ECOC website has already been visited by more than 600,000 visitors and the Maribor 2012 mobile application has more than 3,000 users. The MARIBOR 2012 website will soon be launching the Instagram application. This will make it the first of all ECOC websites with such an application, while a few months ago it was the first ECOC webpage adapted for the blind and visually impaired.

Highlights until the end

Regardless of the final term of ECOC, the programme prides itself on various outstanding projects in the coming days. Check the calender for more detailed information.

Apart from spectacular events such as the Borštnik Meeting Theatre Festival, The Invisible Circus with Victoria Chaplin and Jean-Baptiste Thierrée, hosting Garry Kasparov during the World Youth Chess Championship in Maribor, and Legendary jazz pianist Chick Corea, the ECOC will host numerous extraordinary exhibitions such as Rebecca Horn & Guests, KIBLA 2012, KIBLIX, Robots & Avatars, Soft Control: Art, Science and the Technologically Unconscious, the International Festival of Computer Arts and numerous other international events within our Cultural Embassies project.

One distinguished project and the most sustainable one laying the foundations of eco tourism with Urban gardens and Eco farms cooperative Dobrina is definitely Urban Furrows, which is opening its own Centre of alternative and autonomous production – CAAP in November.

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